#my honorable mentions are Us & jacobs ladder

[kedsandtubesocks]

top 5 horror movies 👀

GAHHHHHH what an ask! You came for my THROAT ERIN 😭 (but thank you ily)

✨Top 5 Horror Movies✨

The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Hellraiser (1987)

An American Werewolf in London

The Exorcist

Suspiria

There’s still so many that I want to list IM UPSET 😫

[shuckinbeanz]

Gangster!BNHA au p.3

warnings/notes: nsfw, minors dni or imma 👏 virtual 👏 smacc 👏 u 👏, fucking (literally) gangsters, mentions of kleptomania, mirror kink, mentions of a little feederism, making and use of drugs, sex while high, semi-public sex, cockwarming, slight mention of brat taming, spanking, Service and Daddy Doms, overstimulation, cervix kissing/fucking, size kink, a lil bit of praise kink, as well as dumbification mentions, sugar daddy, & begging if you squint, plus maybe something tiny about an unhealthy relationship? 🤔 but its not toxic. depends how you look at it, whatever floats your boat, ig. i absolutely ruin our poor sweet tama-tan but trust me you'll love the gangster him. 🥴 some are longer than others(not sorry) and I used a translation service for Sero's Spanish, so i know it's potentially gibberish in the actual language, so I'll mark what I actually want him to say. If it needs correcting don't be afraid to hmu 👀 pls

Underage characters are Aged Up!

MINORS 👏 DNI! 👏 AGE 👏 IN 👏 BIO 👏 OR 👏 DNI! 👏 Head on over to @candybowbeansies please for my SFW pieces, or be blocked if you interact here! 😇

First | Second | Third

we know(or at least some of us know) ab @miggiisdumb and her LOVELY gangster!bakugo 🥵 which inspired these! Featuring present mic(who gave me trouble), inasa, sero, fatgum, and suneater(who gave me even more trouble).

shameless tag: @pixiikitty cuz i kno we bof wike tama-tan... 🥺👉👈

gangster!hizashi is another calculating man who puts on a himbo facade. very, very charismatic, so he's often Might Gang's negotiator. his boundless energy is contagious, and your wrong if you think he hasn't been around. like, around, around. man is a favorite where he works, teaching pole dancing-and he's literally their posterchild. he's the one that rakes in clients. yes, you heard me right. he teaches pole-dancing. and he does choreography.

he's literally eros and apollo by studio killers. srsly. listen to the song.

he follows the work hard-play hard style of life. man is a hardcore party animal.

as such, man is a FREAK in the sheets. he's so fucking kinky mf might as well be a fucking porn star. and he is Very open about it. sex is a natural thing to do, and he's legit a natural at it

he's a hardcore top, SOMETIMES he MIGHT let you 'top' him, but remember; he's the one in charge. big sadist this mf is, and an even bigger tease.

with him, it'd be any position viable in front of a mirror. loves to make you watch as his jacob's ladder pops wetly in your cunny 🥴

gangster!inasa is yet another himbo who's all brawn, can never sit still, and has zero brain cells. like gangster!kirishima mans ass is thicc. just grab it, okay? mans will reward punish you later (you can tell from that one look he gives you. ya'know, that one look that makes your panties drop? yes that one 🥵)

as a brawler mans will fite for your honor. there's literally no stopping him. (he's got chronic spontaneity, but we'll do more on that in a bit.) and oh boy, does he pack a mean punch. the kind of punch that will turn someone's face into a bowl if he's pissed off enough. Only those brave enough to degrade you when he's around(trust me, man is an intimidating wall of muscle at a whopping 6'3, and his natural sharp eyes sigh 😩), or those who see you temporarily left alone and decide to degrade/harass you while he's off doing something for a minute or two, get a knuckle sandwhich. "The fuck you think you are, comin' up on my lambchop like I ain't around?!" keheheh look they're flying~

he's spontaneous with the majority of his actions, and he almost always goes along with whatever you want 99% of the time.

and if you're super kinky, man is all for it. wanna use panty vibes? Inasa is a ruthless tease. man will edge you allll fucking day. public restroom sex? boi will take you to one of those unisex restrooms for a ride 🥴

he is a Service Dom, a Daddy Dom, and he's a brat tamer. if you wanna be a brat, he will tame provide to you what you're begging for by being one. you know what you're getting into when you decide to be a brat, you heathens. expect soft discipline(spanking, soft biting, hair tugging/pulling) as he has your bratty cunt warm his exquisite cock balls deep, scolding you for being a brat, til you're literally sobbing for him to rail you already 😩 its phat and veiny and has an angry red weeping mushroom head 😩 its gotta be his enthusiasm its gotta be 😩

"Now, now, little lamb...you knew what you were getting into." Spank. "Riling Daddy up like that." Spank. "You never learn, do you, sweetheart? Now you gotta learn your place, again...no moving."

gangster!sero is very easygoing, approachable, and just overall just take a joint and chillax type of guy. but don't let this fool you. he's another calculating type, but not much can set him off. he knows his limits, and he likely knows yours too. he is extremely observant, and like gangster!deku he expertly plays out his schemes.

he is very sneaky, light-footed(that is to be expected in his line of work), and he has almost zero presence. so expect a lot of scare pranks from him to get a rise out of you 😂 (don't worry you can get back at him later)

to put it bluntly, he's a thief. he can, will, and won't hesitate to klepto whatever catches his eye(especially if it reminds him of you).

BUT JUST BECAUSE HE'S A THIEF dont mean he can't kill someone. srsly. there's a couple dozen skeletons he's made dotted about. literally. but i'll leave that to your imagination. onto the bedroom!

TIE HIM UP, OR LET HIM TIE YOU UP

he's into BDSM. he's a complete brat in the sack. bratty sub, bratty dom. he is a power bottom, and a bit of a masochist for you.

"Oh dios, que me jodan...you're so pretty for me like this, lovebug."

(says "Oh God, fuck me...")

he's ab average in size, he has a nice bulge under his cock and he tilts to th side a lil and down just right😩 when he tops he'll fold you in positions (yes, plural; mans will find them) where he hits your g-spot 🥴 it'll take a couple times, but when he's got you figured out, he'll make you go dumb from then on "Remember the safeword, mi amor." 🥵

gangster!taishiro is Might Gang's drug dealer. man literally has not one, but two kitchens, one for cooking drugs and the other because man is a foodie, as you'd be able to tell from his physique. he is an intimidating gentle giant at a whopping 6'5, and man is dummy thicc. like he loves his abnormally large hoodies that make you look like you're wearing a fucking ballgown cuz he's xtra hawt n xtra large 🥵 but when its off and his form can't be easily mistaken for pure chubalub, man is also stacked and strong. he is very good at cooking drugs, and has a vast array of anonymous clientele. he's a fucking genius.

he's a very playful, sweet, and carefree dude-highly extroverted. you can find him easily, as he frequents literally every (shady) club in town. man has a switch, and it when it flips when he's doin' business he does a complete 180.

like gangster!toshinori, he loves to spoil his honeypie ROTTEN and he is 100% a Daddy Dom. dont be too much of a brat. it won't get you anywhere with him. if you want something, say it, and Daddy will provide. so don't beat around the fucking bush.

"You want somethin', sweetheart? Let Daddy get it for his sweet li'l tootsieroll~"

he loves LOVES waking up to the smell of his baby girl's home cooking. and if you don't know how to cook, he'll teach you if you're willing to learn. Feed him a couple bites or let him feed you once in awhile bc your cheeks are adorable to him 🥺

man is PACKING between his legs, right up there with gangster!toshinori in size. he's a big guy, has a big dick, and as such there ain't many positions that can be used, but he'll always make you feel small and safe and oh my god 🙏 pray for your coochie because Daddy will go up, over, and beyond to make sure she is thoroughly satisfied and will make her go dumb unless you tell him to stop 🥵

"Fuuuuck, babygirl. So tight...you make Daddy feel so good. It's only right that Daddy does the same for you, yeah?"

gangster!tamaki is a hot mess. he's socially awkward, its very likely he suffers from PTSD, he also suffers from depression and has v bad anxiety that leads to his defensive mechanism-lashing out. this defense mechanism also extends to you-and not in the way you're thinking, you masochists. he's loyal to a fault, and when he sees you being harassed, degraded, etc., he will explode. you'll need to calm him down before he permanently cancels some life subscriptions, and you're the only thing closest to gangster!mirio and drugs that can without getting hurt. he's tall, 6'1 but he tends to hunch, and he's lanky, but don't let this fool you. He is very agile and quite strong, so he can take a group at once.

he is very dependent on drugs, and dependent on you. don't get me wrong, he's a grown man, he don't rely on you so much where the relationship would be downright toxic. you are not his therapist, and he knows that, but he still has issues, and you both know that.

cockwarming and cuddles are two huge things with him, especially when he's as high as a kite. he's very handsy and touchy when he's high, and he's very mouthy too. I don't necessarily mean verbally, btw. i mean the kisses he gives. if you let him, he'll leave marks. after he's done, he'll have you ride him til your tuckered out.

"You're so good to me, baby... *Gasp* Y-Yes...keep bouncin', please!~"

when he's high, he's confident and dominant. and with these two combined, he can be very passionate. a tamaki who's high doesn't simply fuck. he makes passionate love-nice and slow, or hot and heavy-so set the pace, honey, because mini-tama is rearing to go; he has a pretty thang 😩 a very pretty thang. it's long and not too chunky and his pretty PHAT light pink mushroom head is fucking sensitive so suck on it 🥺

and THE STAMINA THIS MAN HAS 😩 once he's on the confidence boat, he can and will go for hours. he's kinda masochistic because he LOVES overstimulation, so mans can keep cumming. better make a point to babble praises, because it's music to his ears. he'll have your bodies squished together and his pretty pink mushroom head kissing your cervix. tease him if you want his inner dom to come out and bully your womb open. 😩 do a few kegels if you want him to lose it and rail you hard 🥵

"You asked for it, bunny. Yeah--nnnh--you fucking asked for it."

[jewish-privilege]

Something of great significance for the Jewish community happened last week. We must recognize and embrace it as such. Some folks — myself included — will have to get out, if just for the moment, of the lane we have long been traveling in. And we should be grateful for that opportunity.

...Haddish was 27 when she first met her father, who had abandoned the family before Haddish was born. But she had grown up knowing he was an Eritrean Jew, and thirteen years after meeting him, she decided it was time for a bat mitzvah — or, as Haddish would put it, a Black Mitzvah.

In an appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s show, Haddish spoke with genuine joy and excitement about becoming a bat mitzvah, and “how drawn to” being Jewish she is. She spoke about honoring her “ancestors and everything they have done for us.”

Everyone involved in preparing her for this event, particularly Rabbi Susan Silverman and her daughter Aliza, spoke about Haddish’s joy, enthusiasm, and pride in embracing this heritage. She even learned enough Hebrew to read from the Torah.

...In the Dvar Torah she gave at her ceremony, Haddish used Jacob’s ladder as an analogy to her own struggle with homelessness, foster homes, caring for her younger siblings, parental abandonment, and so much more; she had climbed the ladder out.

So why do I think this so important? Because at a time when our focus is on the “oy” of Jewish life and not the “joy,” along comes a rising star who also happens to be funny, smart, and a person of color, and says, “I am a member of this tribe. I want to embrace it, celebrate it, and proclaim it to the world.”

...For too many Jews today, our tradition is a black hole of ignorance, a source of angst, and even, sadly, a source of shame. Tiffany Haddish is the polar opposite of that.

And it’s not because she’s ignorant of the fact that membership in this ancient peoplehood comes with certain liabilities. She also seems wise to the fact that the Jewish world has not always been kind or welcoming to Jews who don’t look like the white Ashkenazi prototype. Too often, Jews of color are seen as “other,” “unique,” and even “interesting,” but not totally one of “us.”

Nonetheless, she is beyond delighted to be part of this community. She is joyous. She is celebrating. And she is doing so at a time when so many of us go to a dark place when someone mentions being Jewish.

Thank you, Tiffany Haddish, for reminding so many Jews what a precious legacy we share. Thank you for seeing the darchei noam, the pleasant ways of our heritage, and wanting to proclaim that to the world.

I, for one, who have spent so much of my time and energy these past years — if not my entire profession — studying how Jews have been persecuted and hated and teaching what is done to Jews and not what Jews do, welcome her with a heart overflowing with gratitude for reminding us what we have had all along.

And since gratitude is a lynchpin of Jewish tradition, as I wrote in these pages a few weeks ago, modim ananchu lach: We thank you — so very much.

[twdmusicboxmystery]

Acorn Symbolism: Romance, Promises, and Peter Pan!

Morning Everyone! Sorry it’s taken me so long to get this posted. As I keep saying, cray week. So, I said before that I thought they represented romantic love And I stand by that. For one thing, there are both a male and female component in the germination of acorn seeds. Hence, the romantic love symbol.

But let me mention a few other important acorn references as well.

@frangipanilove​ pointed out Daryl’s line to Carol last season about Ezekiel being “corny.” A play on the word acorn, perhaps? Now, maybe that’s a silly word play, but given the Serious/Sirius references and “Del Arno Foods,” it’s obvious that the TWD writers don’t mind silly word plays.

Now, @frangipanilove is working on a “nut” theory that will probably be much more comprehensive than this one. She has other “corn” references that are specifically around Ezekiel. I’ll leave that to her. But I suppose you could argue that this is a Carzekiel thing, rather than a Bethyl thing.

Or is it?

I would argue that it might simply be…a romantic love thing. After all, people in love tend to wax a little corny, right?

But there’s something else @wdway​ thought of that kinda proves the acorn reference is tied to Beth. I’d completely forgotten about this acorn reference in the show, so kudos to her for her awesome memory.

Do you remember there being acorns in the show before? Think about it for a minute. I will say it’s pretty subtle.

Okay, so take a stroll down memory lane to 5x11, The Distance. That’s two episodes after Coda and the one directly after 5x10, where the music box woke up. TF brings Aaron into the barn, Rick knocks him out, and they spend the episode trying to figure out whether he’s trustworthy or not, and also driving to Alexandria for the first time.

At one point, Rick sends everyone out of the barn to hide in various places and keep watch in case Aaron is part of a larger group that might be a threat to them. Then Judith starts crying because she’s hungry, and Aaron offers the applesauce in his bag, right?

But just before that, Rick tries to mash up acorns for her to eat. Voila! Acorn reference!

Why is that important? Because this scene has almost every major TD symbol in it, sitting in that barn. We have the flare gun (fire), a bottle of water with "Greendale springs” written on it, the music box itself, bullets, toilet paper, the applesauce, and even a dog reference (Fido) on top of the applesauce jar.

And this is the barn from 5x10, outside of which the music box has just awakened.

So, the acorns are most definitely a Beth reference.

Where do we take it from there? I’m not sure. I do think it’s significant that we saw acorns around Aaron right after the music box woke up, and we’re seeing them again now, right when something is happening with Aaron and the Whisperers. To me, that says Beth is about to appear.

Also, I won’t go into all the details now, but 5x11, The Distance, is another episode you should go back and watch if you can. There are SO many amazing references in that episode that we had no way of identifying the first time through. Eugene makes a “copulating dogs” reference. Rosita says, “we’re halfway there,” which I can’t help but see as S5 being half way to S10, suggesting the “dog” will return in S10. Tons of stuff like that all through it. Go watch! 😝

If you look up acorn symbolism, they can represent strength, much like the oak tree (which I’ll talk about in a minute). But that could also represent Beth’s strength. They can tell the future, so yes, they definitely portend something Daryl’s future, and are kind of the ultimate foreshadowing symbol. They suggest looking deep within ourselves (Daryl feelings for Beth) and that if something is nurtured in the right way, it can become powerful. Again, Beth nurtured Daryl like no one ever has.

@frangipanilove​ and I researched the phrase Carol uses, “double capper.” It doesn’t seem to be a real thing. I just figured it was slang, but it’s not coming up in online searches as even that. So I don’t think it means anything by itself. It’s just something mean to draw our attention to the acorn and its symbolism.

Also, the “double” part (2) might represent that we’ve hit the second phase. This hearkens back to retellings and the fact that carrots take two seasons to grow into maturity. It’s something I haven’t mentioned for a while, but we always figured there would be, symbolically, two stages or two times around for Beth and Daryl. The first was S4/S5, and they, as characters, hadn’t matured all the way at that point. We always saw it as Beth returning as stronger, more mature in her character and survival skills, etc. But it’s true of Daryl as well, at least emotionally. This is something I have touched on recently, about how he does understand his own feelings now and will be able to communicate them. So again, the “double” part might represent that we’ve entered phase 2, which is just a fancy way of saying we’re in the part where Beth will return.

Oak Trees

Let’s talk about oak trees, which produce acorns. You might even call acorns the offspring of the oak tree.

Sometimes it’s hard to tell what kind of trees we’re seeing, because we don’t get close up shots of the leaves. But we think all the trees in Fear, on which we’ve seen ladders painted, and Alicia is now painting Phoenixes, are oak trees. (Ladder Theory, Phoenix Theory).

We also talked about the tree in the opening credits—the one the plate glass windows hang from—and whether it might be an oak or not. We also looked up biblical symbolism because we all know biblical symbols are big in TWD, and they’re a big deal in the bible as well.

There are several cases of the holy men of the bible (including Abraham, Jacob, and Joshua) making sacred vows under oak trees. Sometimes they bury things in token of these oaths. Jacob’s is very significant, especially as it is entangled with the story of Jacob’s ladder, and remember that in FTWD, we’ve seen ladders painted on oak trees.

One story that stood out to me was that of Joshua. Reading it, I became convinced that the tree we see in the opening credits is, indeed, an oak tree. Let me explain.

In the story, Joshua utters the famous line, “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” He then asks if the people will do the same. They make a solemn oath to always serve the Lord, and they do it under an oak tree. Joshua puts a rock under the tree (which represents Christ, btw) and says if they break their promise, the rock will testify against them in judgement.

So, the oak tree = a solemn promise. It occurred to me that’s pretty much what Rick did under the tree with the plate glass pictures hanging on it at the end of S8. He made an oath to honor Carl’s last wishes and not kill Negan. (“My mercy overcame my wrath.) And if that was an oak, then the one in the opening credits must be as well. (Bc of the plate glass pictures.)

And the more I think about it, the more significant that becomes. I don’t want to go into all the details of this today (because this post is about acorns), but I’ve said before that I think Negan will lead to Beth in some way (hence all the bats we saw around her). And the only reason Negan is still alive is because of Rick’s “oath” to let him live in order to honor Carl’s last wishes.

Remember the Phoenix near Carl at his death? (Alicia is painting phoenixes on trees in FTWD.) Well, if Carl hadn’t died, I absolutely think Rick would have simply executed him at the end of AOW. And if Negan is as instrumental in Beth’s return as I think he’ll be, then that’s super important. You could argue that but for Carl’s death, Beth wouldn’t have ever returned. Which explains the phoenix we saw just before Carl’s death.

Also, these new opening credits that start and kind of center around the oak tree began in S9, after AOW ended. Which says to me that Rick’s oath (keeping Negan alive, etc) is what’s driving this part of the story, now. So, this really is all beautifully and intricately connected.

And how do we go from the oath under the oak tree to an acorn symbol? How should we interpret that?

Well, this may become more specific as we learn more, but for now, here’s how I think of it. Just as the acorn is the offspring—or offshoot, if you will—of the oak tree, so Beth’s return (and Daryl’s happiness) will be a result or offshoot of Carl’s death and Rick’s oath.

Peter Pan:

All right, I’m going to switch gears and talk about one more possibility for this acorn reference that the lovely @weapon13whitefang​.

She said between the acorn in this scene with Carol and Daryl, and the “kiss” reference, she was immediately reminded of Peter Pan. In Peter Pan, there are tokens of kisses exchanged. Like thimbles. Peter didn’t know what a kiss was, so Wendy gave him a thimble, which was a token of a kiss. 

In return, Peter actually gives Wendy an acorn button. Now, technically, this is not an actual acorn (though many PP interpretations use actual acorns). Rather this was a term for a button made of wood, which in slang, was known as an “acorn button.” (Source) In symbol of their friendship, Peter and Wendy wore their gifts for one another around their necks on necklaces. Wendy’s acorn button even saved her life when the Lost Boys (on Tinkerbell’s angry lie) shot her out of the sky. The button stopped the arrow from piercing her heart and killing her.

This has SO many promising implications.

But first thing’s first. My first thought was about what this meant for the question of romance. You all know I don’t think this signifies romance between Carol and Daryl—I know it doesn’t—but I need to be able to explain why.

So, Wendy and Peter exchanged tokens, much like Carol giving Daryl an acorn in this past episode. The question is, was there ever romance between Wendy and Peter?

Meh…a little bit. Wendy was definitely crushing on Peter when she first met him, though it was as much the prospect of adventure as anything else. (Which might have also been true of Carol early on, especially as Daryl helped her search for Sophia.) 

But think about it in the long term. Things don’t work out romantically between Wendy and Peter. Wendy leaves Neverland, grows up, gets married and has kids, where Peter doesn’t. They always have a deep and abiding friendship—and even love—for one another. They wear their token necklaces for decades after their adventures together. But romance? No, it’s not really part of the story.

In fact, if you want to get REALLY detailed, why did Wendy first become disillusioned with Neverland? Because she came to understand that Peter brought her there, not as a girlfriend or companion, but to be a MOTHER to the Lost Boys. (Daryl and Carol have a mother/son relationship, as confirmed by Norman in S7.)

You could also argue that Carol finally putting the tragedy of Sophia behind her and marrying Ezekiel and finding happiness represents Wendy moving on from Neverland and getting married and having kids. Daryl is still Peter Pan in Neverland who’s never sustained a real relationship before. Of course, we think he will, when Beth returns. But for now, the Peter and Wendy analogy is very apt.

And it opens up a lot of possibilities for me. I’m super intrigued as to what will happen with this acorn. He put it in the pocket of his vest. Will it save his life? Deflect a bullet or something? Or is this less literal than that? If it represents Beth or his relationship with her, maybe it foreshadows that she’ll save his life in some way. (Something we’ve all theorized about for a LONG time.)

I also think it’s interesting that Wendy was flying when she was shot out of the sky and the acorn button saved her. They even called her the Wendy-Bird. Now, granted, in this analogy, Carol, more than Beth is Wendy. But still. 

1) We saw a plane crash this past season on FTWD, and we’ve seen several helicopter crashes, including one on the roof of Big Spot in 4x01 (Beth) and one when Merle returned in 3x01 (resurrection of character). 

These are representations of birds falling out of the sky. You MIGHT even be able to lump the satellite in with that. I don’t know if satellites are ever referred to as birds, but it did fall out of the sky, after all. 

2) How many birds have been used around Beth as symbolism? Blue Heron. Yellow Wagtail. Phoenix. Songbird.

3) And of course there’s a major precedent for the writers using children’s stories as symbolic templates in the show. The Wizard of Oz. Little Red Riding Hood. The Little Prince (FTWD). Why not Peter Pan?

So yeah. I gotta stop now, but let’s just say I’m still loving the acorn symbol and the acorn scene. They portend great things for TD and Bethyl. 🎉

Which acorn interpretation is your favorite and why?

[bereft-of-frogs]

If you are ever so inclined - I'd be very interested in your horror recommendations.

This got…probably more involved than you intended. :D It was a good procrastination tool/distraction from A Thing I didn’t want to do though, and I had fun revisiting some of these old trailers.

This ended up really long. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m like this.

“The New Golden Age”

[These are what I’m talking about when I talk about us entering in a new golden age - really genre bending, specifically out to subvert tropes, make social statements, and empower people who have been shut out by horror in the past.]

Jordan Peele - Get Out (2017) and Us (2019)

Ah, Jordan Peele. The master of the comedy to horror turn. Get Out was the most fun I’ve had watching a horror movie in a long time. I love how it really fits itself to classic tropes but subverts them by flipping the genre and race dynamics. (Daniel Kaluuya’s character embodies the ‘Final Girl’ trope.)

Us fucked me up. Like, woke up at 3am thinking about it, couldn’t really look at Lupita Nyong’o for a while. The remix of the song that plays over the trailer literally gives me goosebumps. It freaked me out, so much. That one is a genre bender - you think you’re watching one thing (a classic home-invasion type trope with some weird mystery to it) and then the final scene basically upends everything you thought you were watching. Fucked. Me. Up.

Ari Aster - Hereditary (2018) and Midsommar (2019)

I’ve been talking a bunch about how much I loved Midsommar. It’s gorgeous visually, Ari Aster is so great at just letting things hang and letting tension build and build - and it was the first horror movie I think I’ve ever felt weirdly empowered by. Like, similar to when I saw Captain Marvel, I walked out of the theater like “is this how men feel all the time?” Hereditary is probably a better movie overall, not counting the fact that it was practically made for me. At its core it’s a grief drama, a phenomenal portrait of mourning…and it’s also really fucking scary. Those slow-tension building scenes are really used effectively in Hereditary.

I also think it’s interesting because Ari Aster is keeping pace with Jordan Peele, but did it in the opposite order. Hereditary is the genre-bender - you kind of think it’s a family drama/psychological horror for most of it, and then it takes a hard turn and makes you question everything you were watching. Midsommar is more on-genre norms - it’s essentially the classic ‘bunch of terrible people getting picked off one by one’ trope (I don’t know if there’s a better name for that), but by applying folk horror and really centering female characters as both pro- and an- tagonist, it does a lot of unexpected things.

Robin Aubert - Les Affamés (”The Ravenous”) (2017)

It’s a zombie movie, but it’s more than that. This movie is so layered. I saw it at a festival when it first came out and then we watched it again this year on St. Jean-Baptiste (Québec national holiday) because we wanted to be #OnTheme. (And to celebrate St. Jean-Baptiste without having to interact with crowds) and it kind of clicked what it was doing. It’s really about the absorbing of difference into the dominant, hegemonic culture and the struggle for marginalized individuals to survive. Robin Aubert has a couple others I haven’t seen yet, but have heard good things about and are on my list. I saw a critic call his main brand ‘pastoral terror’ (terreur pastorale) which I absolutely love as a concept.

Alex Garland - Annihilation (2018)

Some people might argue with me if this is horror or not, if it’s sci-fi, but I think it’s body horror. And it’s beautiful body horror! See this is what I’m here for. Body horror is not just gore - there’s not a lot of blood in this movie. Body horror is about distortion and the grotesque. There’s this one scene that still gives me chills when I think about it and Tessa Thompson’s final scene is beautiful body horror at its finest. (There was also a really similar scene in Midsommar, so I clearly know what I like.) The soundtrack is also phenomenal.

[I had a whole rant about the book series, which I hated, here, but it was getting long and derailing so I cut it out. the tldr is I hated the book.]

“Classics I actually Enjoy”

[I don’t always love what appears at the top of the like ‘essential horror’ lists, but these are the ones I think are worth it.]

Dario Argento - Deep Red (1975)

I really, really wanted to like Suspiria more, because the concept and Goblin’s score for Suspiria both appeal to me a lot more. But I had a lot more fun watching Deep Red. So far it’s my favorite of the giallos.

Richard Donner - The Omen (1976)

Classic. It’s so good. “It’s all for you, Damian!” Plus, I love any movie that comes with rumors of a curse.

Alfred Hitchcock - Psycho (1960)

I would classify most of Hitchcock as ‘thriller’ rather than horror, but Psycho is firmly psychological horror, and The Classic.

Stuart Gordon - Re-animator (1985)

I couldn’t really decide if I wanted to put this one. Especially because on a long drive my friend and we basically covered how this was really ripe for a remake because it’s flaws…did not age particularly well, especially re: gender and race. (But it could be so, so good. It could be an amazing commentary about consent and the use of marginalized bodies…but the original …is…not.) But I’m putting this on here because of body horror. They clearly hired dancers or choreographers to do the reanimated movements because they really lean into it and it’s great. It gets…heavily derailed at the end by an absolutely ridiculous gore climax and missing the opportunity to actually have a coherent storyline or a message of any kind…but they got the grotesque movements down.

Honorable Mentions: The Amityville Horror, The Exorcist, Rosemary’s Baby, *sigh* Cannibal Holocaust (like…I don’t actually recommend anyone watch it. I’m glad I did, because it’s really important for how the ‘found footage’ genre developed, so it’s a piece of film history but like. Don’t actually watch it.), The House on Haunted Hill

“Random Others In Between”

Adrian Lyne - Jacob’s Ladder (1990)

You might recognize Jacob’s Ladder as the movie that more heavily inspired the first chapter of ‘dark underground//violent sky’ more than I had originally thought. I had originally been basing a lot of the tone and style on current trends in horror TV, but then I happened to watch Jacob’s Ladder while I was in the middle of writing the second half and was like…oh. Like, I knew I had been heavily influenced by Jacob’s Ladder and the ending, but I had forgotten about how the film differentiates between ‘reality’ and ‘dream’ - in that it doesn’t! And that was an effect I was specifically striving for when I was writing ‘dark underground’. It’s also just a really weird, trippy late-80s/early-90s movie set in New York when New York was still really dirty and that’s fun.

Hideo Nakata - Dark Water (2002)

This is my favorite Japanese horror film. I think it gets a little bit looked over in favor of some others (Ringu, Ju-on, Audition), but it’s my favorite. (Has a terrible American remake, so be sure to avoid that one. It comes up first when you google. -_-)

James Wan - The Conjuring (2013)

I did really like this first entry - the sequels are kind of aggressively meh.

Scott Derrickson - Sinister (2012)

THE DANGER IS IN THE VIEWING!

Honorable Mentions: Session 9, Se7en, The Ritual, It Follows, The Descent, The Hills Have Eyes (I just really like bright horror movies), The Exorcism of Emily Rose (for fun bonus pretension, you can also watch Requiem, and then when people ask you if you’ve seen The Exorcism of Emily Rose, you get to be like “Yeah, have you seen the German original?” though, technically, it’s that they’re both based off of the same true-story. it’s still fun to say), Hard Candy, Ils (Them), THE VVITCH (should only ever be pronounced ‘The Va-Vitch’ lol)

“The Parody Films”

[What is there to say? They’re great, so much fun.]

Joss Whedon - Cabin in the Woods (2012)

Remember back in 2012 when Avengers 1 came out, and then Cabin in the Woods came out, like, immediately afterwards, and we all loved Joss Whedon? We were so innocent back then.

Eli Craig - Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010)

This movie is so pure. I love how they both play into and subvert the rural hillbilly tropes with the two main characters. They just want a vacation home! These kids keep killing themselves on their property!

Honorable Mentions: Shaun of the Dead, I was googling to confirm the year of Tucker and Dale vs. Evil and I saw What We Do In The Shadows listed as horror paraody, but I would count that more as a Gothic mockumentary, but I listed it here because I love it so much.

“Documentaries”

Xavier Burgin - Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror (2019)

This movie was so interesting! Highly recommend. I think Shudder is planning on producing more of these documentaries, about marginalized groups in horror, and I am Here For It.

Honorable Mentions: Cropsey/Killer Legends, Best Worst Movie

I think I’ll stop here and maybe someday do a separate one for books. And maybe TV series, but I’m having a hard time teasing out the line between mystery and horror because of how popular and kind of unique Nordic Noir is right now. It’s just hard to draw the line for TV.

But I’ll end by summarizing reading thoughts (in a more disorganized manner):

-I have two separate ‘complete tales and poems’ editions of Edgar Allen Poe - one to look pretty and one to annotate.

-If you come for my girl Mary Shelley I will come @ you. Once a kind of asshole-y friend once was like ‘Frankenstein is terrible because it was written by a teenage girl’ and, I swear to God, I almost fought him right there in the bar. The Last Man is also great.

-I also almost forgot how much I loved Dracula. The Harkers especially. (I once tried to read League of Extraordinary Gentleman and gave up with a rage-headache 15 pages in because of what they did to Mina.) (Ah yes, let’s make her a “Strong Female Character ™” by having her divorce Jonathan and almost be raped in the first 15 pages.) (Couldn’t deal with it.) (I’m sure I would in general like that series but I just had too much attachment to Mina Harker to get over it.)

-I physically cannot get through Lovecraft. I can’t do it. I’ve tried so many times, I know how important it is but I just. Can’t. Don’t want to. Won’t. Sorry.

-A lot of adapted books I tend to prefer the books they were based on. Some are kind of obvious, like I Am Legend by Richard Matheson, which is a way, way better book than the movie. (They changed the ending which undercut the actual message.) But others are still decent movies, I just tend to prefer the book. Like, everyone always puts Let the Right One In on ‘essential horror’ lists, but I actually liked the book by John Ajvide Lindqvist a lot better.

-Similarly, you may have noticed I put no Stephen King movies on this list - there are a few I really like, but I think they work better as complements to the novels. Misery and the original Pet Sematary (haven’t seen the new one yet) are my two favorite movies-based-on-king. The Shining is visually stunning by character-wise, wildly disappointing, so point to the novel for this one. (King also hated the adaptation for what Kubrick did to Wendy.) My general King recommendations are: Carrie, Misery, The Shining, The Mist, Insomnia

I’m having a bit of an issue with how male-dominated this list is. It’s partially my problem that I’m working on correcting (I’m at the point where I’m actively trying not to read horror books by white men anymore) and partially a general problem in the industry. It’s hard to get into an industry that for a long time unquestioningly based itself on violence against women and other marginalized peoples’ bodies. -_-  But yeah, I have a list of contemporary horror novels by women that I’m working my way through, and I’m trying to catch up on some older staples like Shirley Jackson, Angela Carter, and Octavia Butler.

UPDATE: After I finished compiling this list, I googled ‘Horror movies directed by women’ and there are a couple that I would recommend, I think they’re just not as visible. (Did not realize they’d been directed by women until this Google.):

Mary Lambert - Pet Sematary (1989)

Karen Kusama - Jennifer’s Body (2009)

Mary Harron - American Psycho (2000)

Lynne Ramsay - We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011) (though I liked the book better)

This list was probably incomplete and I’ve probably forgotten a bunch of things I really like! It’s also only made up of things I’ve already seen/read (though it’s not comprehensive). If something’s not on here and you think it should be, lmk! It may be that I haven’t seen it yet and I’ll add it to my to-watch list. Always taking suggestions, especially for more horror (films or books) from underrepresented groups.

[pamphletstoinspire]

Novena to the Holy Guardian Angels Recited From: September 23rd through October 1st - Feast Day: October 2nd (Both Latin Calendar and Ordinary Time)

Novena

The word Novena derives it name from the Latin word “novem” meaning “nine.” A novena can be either a private or public devotion in the Catholic Church to obtain special graces.

NOVENA TO THE HOLY GUARDIAN ANGELS

Novena Prayer

(Said Daily before each day’s prayers)

Heavenly Father, Creator of heaven and earth, I praise and thank You, not only be-cause You have created the visible world but also because You have created the heavens and called the numberless spirits into being. You created them most splendidly, endowing them with power and understanding, and pouring out upon them the riches of Your grace.

I praise and thank You for having showered these blessings upon the good Angels, especially upon my Guardian Angel, and for having rewarded them with eternal glory after the time of their probation.

Now they surround Your throne forever, singing jubilantly: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts! Heaven and earth are full of Your glory.

Hosanna in the highest!

Eternal Son of God, I honor You as the King of the Angels. Yet You Yourself were pleased to take their name and office and to dwell among us as the Angel and Messenger of God. You were the faithful Companion and constant Leader of the chosen people. By Your Incarnation You became the Ambassador of our heavenly Father and the Messenger of the great decree of our redemption.

For Your greater glory, loving King of the Angels, I wish to praise and honor Your servants, the Holy Angels, especially my own Guardian Angel. In union with these Holy Angels I adore and revere You as my Savior and my God.

Holy Spirit, Divine Artist, Finger of God's right hand, by Your power and love the hosts of the Angels were brought into being to adore and serve God. They do so with constant fidelity and ready obedience. They carry out Your commands with fervent love and holy zeal. Divine Spirit, You also created us in Your likeness and made of our souls Your living temples.

I thank You for having given us Your Holy Angels to help, protect, and guide us that we may persevere in Your grace throughout life's journey and safely reach our heavenly home. Help me to be attentive to their guidance that I may do Your holy Will perfectly and at the same time find true happiness in this life and in the next.

Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in honor of the Holy Angels, I ask You to grant my special request if it be Your holy Will:

(Mention your request).

Day One—Ardent Seraphim, you who dwell in the eternal home of love, unceasingly absorbed in the rays of the Sun of Justice, we beg you in virtue of the Divine Blood, to enkindle in our hearts that holy fire with which you are consumed.

St. Michael, the Archangel, and all the Holy Angels, protect us in our combats, that we may not perish in the tremendous judgment of God.

Glory be to the Father, and the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Day Two—Bright Cherubim, you who are allowed a deeper insight into God's secrets, dispel the darkness of our souls, and in virtue of the Divine Blood, give that supernatural light to our eyes that will enable us to understand the truths of salvation.

St. Michael, the Archangel, and all the Holy Angels,…..

Glory be…..

Day Three— Sublime Thrones, dazzling in your beauty, upon whom rests the Almighty and who convey His commands to the inferior Angels, obtain for us in virtue of the Divine Blood, peace with God, with our neighbor and with ourselves.

St. Michael, the Archangel, and all the Holy Angels,…..

Glory be…..

Day Four— Supreme Dominations, you who have the authority over all Angelic Choirs, and are charged with the execution of God's orders, rule over our minds and hearts, and in virtue of the Divine Blood, help us to know and faithfully to accomplish the will of God.

St. Michael, the Archangel, and all the Holy Angels,…..

Glory be…..

Day Five—Invincible Powers, whose mission it is to remove the obstacles to the Divine will, and to overcome its enemies, defend us against the attacks of the world, the flesh and the devil, and in virtue of the Divine Blood, render us victorious in our combats against this triple power.

St. Michael, the Archangel, and all the Holy Angels,…..

Glory be…..

Day Six—Heavenly Virtues, who watch over the harmony of the material creation, you whose name signifies "Strength," have pity on our weakness, and obtain for us in virtue of the Divine Blood, the grace to bear with patience the trials of this life.

St. Michael, the Archangel, and all the Holy Angels,…..

Glory be…..

Day Seven—Sovereign Principalities, you who are the Princes of Nations, we beseech you to guard our Country effectively, that it may realize God's designs in its regard. Govern our souls and our bodies, and in virtue of the Divine Blood, obtain that we may attain eternal life.

St. Michael, the Archangel, and all the Holy Angels,…

Glory be…..

Day Eight—Most noble Archangels, you who, under the command of St. Michael, guard and protect the Holy Church, deign to deliver her from internal and external enemies. Watch over the Holy Father, as well as over all the children of the Immaculate Spouse of Christ, and in virtue of the Divine Blood, obtain for us the grace to live and die in the Faith, Hope, and Charity of Holy Church, so that we may be eternally united with its august Head, Jesus Christ, Our Lord.

St. Michael, the Archangel, and all the Holy Angels,…..

Glory be…..

Day Nine—Most holy Angels, you whose zeal for the interest of God, wherever they need to be defended, carries you through the universe more rapidly than lightning, protect His cause in our souls, and in virtue of the Divine Blood, obtain for us the signal grave of final perseverance

St. Michael, the Archangel, and all the Holy Angels,…..

Glory be…..

Conclusion

Antiphon: O most glorious Prince, Michael, the Archangel, be mindful of us, here and everywhere, and always pray to the Son of God for us.

Verse: I will praise Thee, O God, in the sight of Your Angels.

Response: I will adore Thee in Your holy Temple and I will confess

Your Name.

Let us Pray:

O God, Who has in an admirable order disposed the ministry of angels and of men, grant in Your goodness that our life on earth may be protected by those who in heaven always assist before Your throne ready to do Your will. Through Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

LITANY OF THE HOLY GUARDIAN ANGELS

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.*

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,*

God the Holy Spirit,*

Holy Trinity, One God,*

Holy Mary, Queen of Angels, pray for us.**

Holy Mother of God,**

Holy Virgin of virgins,

Saint Michael, who was ever the defender of the people of God,

St. Michael, who did drive from Heaven Lucifer and his rebel crew,

St. Michael, who did cast down to Hell the accuser of our brethren,

Saint Gabriel, who did expound to Daniel the heavenly vision,

St. Gabriel, who did foretell to Zachary the birth and ministry of John the Baptist,

St. Gabriel, who did announce to Blessed Mary the Incarnation of the Divine Word,

Saint Raphael, who did lead Tobias safely through his journey to his home again,

St. Raphael, who did deliver Sara from the devil,

St. Raphael, who did restore his sight to Tobias the elder,

All you holy Angels, who stand around the high and lofty throne of God,

Who cry to Him continually: Holy, Holy, Holy,

Who dispel the darkness of our minds and give us light,

Who are the messengers of heavenly things to men,

Who have been appointed by God to be our guardians '

Who always behold the Face of our Father Who is in Heaven,

Who rejoice over one sinner doing penance,

Who struck the Sodomites with blindness,

Who led Lot out of the midst of the ungodly,

Who ascended and descended on the ladder of Jacob,

Who delivered the Divine Law to Moses on Mount Sinai,

Who brought good tidings when Christ was born,

Who ministered to Him in the desert,

Who comforted Him in His agony,

Who sat in white garments at His sepulcher,

Who appeared to the disciples as He went up into Heaven,

Who shall go before Him bearing the standard of the Cross when He comes to judgment,

Who will gather together the elect at the End of the World,

Who will separate the wicked from among the just,

Who offer to God the prayers of those who pray,

Who assist us at the hour of death,

Who carried Lazarus into Abraham's bosom,

Who conduct to Heaven the souls of the just,

Who perform signs and wonders by the power of God,

Who are sent to minister for those who shall receive the inheritance of salvation,

Who are set over kingdoms and provinces,

Who have often put to flight armies of enemies,

Who have often delivered God's servants

from prison and other perils of this life,

Who have often consoled the holy martyrs in their torments, pray for us.

Who are wont to cherish with peculiar care the prelates and princes of the Church,**

All you holy orders of blessed spirits,**

From all dangers, deliver us, O Lord.*

From the snares of the devil,*

From all heresy and schism,

From plague, famine and war,

From sudden and unlooked - for death,

From everlasting death,*

We sinners, beseech Thee to hear us.

Through Your holy Angels, we beseech Thee, hear us.**

That You would spare us,

That You would pardon us,

That You would govern and preserve Thy Holy Church,

That You would protect our Apostolic Prelate and all ecclesiastical orders,

That You would grant peace and security to kings and all Christian princes,

That You would give and preserve the fruits of the earth,

That You would grant eternal rest to all the faithful departed,**

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Silently, say the “Our Father” (Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.)

Bless the Lord, all you Angels:

You who are mighty in strength, who fulfill His commandments, hearkening to the voice of His words. He has given His Angels charge concerning you, To keep you in all your ways.

Let Us Pray

O God, Who dost arrange the services of Angels and men in a wonderful order, mercifully grant that our life may be protected on earth by those who always do Thee service in Heaven, through Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who with Thee and the Holy Ghost art one God, now and forever. Amen.

O God, Who in Your unspeakable Providence dose send Your Angels to keep guard over us, grant unto Your suppliants that we may be continually defended by their protection and may rejoice eternally in their society, through Jesus Christ Our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

***

Novena Pamphlet To Our Guardian Angel - With Litany

https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/a84285_a0d476093a544d03a072117dd6336320.pdf

All Novena Pamphlets

https://www.pamphletstoinspire.com/novenas

[carrickbender]

My Sunday seven, aka, I promise I'm not complaining....

1. First of all, thank you to all of you who reached out and it and sent good karma for my post the other day. I apologize for complaining, as I know so many of you who are dealing with so much more BS than I am and it really is not very fair or cool of me to even mention it. But I love you all for reaching out, and believe me it is highly appreciated. 2. On Friday, I finally got in contact with an orthopedic Physicians office, and they will be contacting me tomorrow on a date for an appointment with them. This is great, because I need to get fixed... And I don't mean snip-snip, no more Mommy Daddy button either! LOL so that in itself is absolutely awesome news. 3. Aaron and I played this weekend at the local Festival known as art walk, and it was a blast. We only played for an hour, and we might have had 20 people who actually sat on the bleachers and listen to us, but there were tons of people Milling around and tons of people who stopped and listened and moved on, but clapped at the end of songs. It was great to get Aaron back on the stage for the first time after he got sober, and I think it took a lot out of him to do it. He was super Brave about it, and I was grinning from ear-to-ear. During the beginning of one of the songs we covered, which is the Traveling Wilburys song called "Handle With Care", I even made mention of the fact that it was great to have my best friend back onstage with me again. You know, we joke about stuff but he truly kind of is the Edge to my Bono. I'm the guy who thinks nothing of getting up in front of a crowd and singing and working a crowd, whereas he is the guy who kind of settled in behind his guitar and goes to work. It's kind of funny, but it's how I Dynamic is these days and probably always will be. 4. During the days performance, I might have also found us a drummer, or should I say someone who is more than willing to play drums for us. My friend Jacob is an outgoing, charismatic, nuttier than nutty commercial fisherman who also happens to be an immensely talented musician. He plays drums, he plays guitar, he sings, and he's learning The craft. What's great is that in my wanting to Corral him and put him into our orbit, as it were I have this vision of creating a band that is a bit like the eagles... And no, we're not going to be that band that you turn off cuz you're having kind of a rough night... LOL! What I mean to say is that Aaron has very much a Don Felder vibe going on, minus the ego. Jacob reminds me a lot of a singing drummer by the name of Don Henley, and that he's very focused and is always working and looking two steps ahead. And then you have me, the songwriter, who is just as focused and is driven but is enough of a jackass that I'm fun that I could most definitely play the role of Glenn Frey in the band. Not that I'm comparing Us in town or musicianship to the Eagles, God no and never, but if that kind of rule. Now, if I could only find a another guitar player who is a little bit more like a reform Joe Walsh and a bass player who also sings like Timothy B schmit. A fella can dream, right? 5. So I got a whole bunch of offers over the weekend for paying gigs for this summer, which is absolutely great. It won't make up the income gap for me not fishing, but it most certainly will help. And on top of all of this, we are having some great progress with the two big music festivals that I'm organizing out here in Westport and in Hoquiam later this summer. The one in Westport is definitely taking on a life of its own, as we are most likely going to be sponsored by a couple of very large surf companies, and some other very big names so that are artists performing can get a decent paycheck and have great exposure at the same time. I'll keep you guys posted, it might be boring, but it also might be one hell of a ride. 6. So on a personal note, this week I've made and refashioned an idea for myself. I decided that part of my problem is that I need to go through a process more often than I am of rhe committing to my goals and dreams. Because I've come to the conclusion that it is not for lack of ability to do these things, but rather it's that I don't achieve them because I don't recommit and honor the initial obligation to myself of following through with my ideas reaching their goal. Honestly, it's not even the fact that I'm not following through, but rather the fact that I need to make sure that every day I make that commitment to myself. And maybe I'm wrong, but if I recommit to those goals for myself, I feel like I can Inspire others to reach their own goals, and within my own community we can reach our Collective goals together while helping each other up the ladder, as it were. For many years, I had a hard time committing to myself and to my goals because of a lack of self-worth. And while I sometimes still struggle with that lack of self-worth and self soothing and building my own ego from the feedback that I received from others, I know that it is important for all of us to sometimes sit back and say that we really truly do matter here and no matter how small of a contribution, it's still a contribution. And those goals, whether they be lofty or just barely rising from where you are right now, are still important and necessary and just as amazing as other people's goals. And in recommitting to myself, I feel like I honor those goals and those things about me that I truly do love and appreciate. I hope this makes sense, because I think it's something that all of us do and maybe I'm just late to the bandwagon of figuring out that this is one of the ways that successful people succeed. And that we committing to one's goals, and verbalizing and vocalizing that commitment everyday is super important to keeping your eyes on the prize as it were and keeping going. Does that even make sense? 7. And as this is the last of my Sunday 7 today, I would like to reiterate how much I appreciate all of you and what you do for myself and for each other as part of this community. When I said some of the things that I said this last week, and questioned myself looking out at all of you and the amazing things you're doing, I hope that that did not come across as angry at you for being amazing, because that's not what I meant. I really truly do enjoy seeing each and everyone of you do well, or start the walk back to the road to Wellness and a recommitment to the joy that is living. I just got a little bit sideways, and I just wanted to make sure tonight that all of you know how appreciative I am of everyone of you being supportive in my journey as a Fisher poet, as a singer-songwriter, as someone who is actively looking to become more healthy, and as a human being. Y'all make this planet spin just that much better, and you don't even know it! Have a great week!

[kabane52]

Heaven in Earth and Earth in Heaven

In many of the visions and appearances of Matushka Olga wherein she heals and binds up old wounds through the love of Jesus, there is a particular setting. The setting is a Native Alaskan one. The home which is seen in the vision is constructed after that style, according to Matushka Olga’s own lived spatiotemporal context. The tea which is offered is definitively from this culture and not another. If we begin to consider the implications of this, we find something amazing.

[Warning: Takes me awhile to finally get around to the whole point.]

God’s purpose in the incarnation and redemptive work of His Son is to bring together heaven (God’s space, where His presence is full) and earth (our cosmic order, including the astral heavens and what we call earth- the astral heavens are a symbol of what the law and prophets call the “heaven of heavens”, God’s space) in Jesus Christ’s “uniting all things” in His divine person. We read about this in Colossians 1:15-20 as well. He is the image of the invisible God. All things were made through Him and for Him, and in Him all creation holds together and is sustained. Genesis 1 begins with “In the Beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth.” When Moses focuses down to narrate the creation of man on the sixth day, we read: “These are the generations of the Heavens and the Earth.”

“Generations of” means “offspring of” in Genesis 5:1 and everywhere else the phrase is used in the Book of Genesis. The Spirit of Life conjoined with the Dust of the Earth to create man, the microcosm who links heaven and earth in his person, drawing them together in his own increase of communion with God. Luke echoes Genesis 2 in speaking of the Spirit’s overshadowing of the Blessed Virgin, who is thereby linked with the earth out of which Adam was made. She is the “sum-statement” of the proper meaning and goal of being a creature. As I wrote about the other day in my notes on the theme of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is the living, breathing incense altar linking the heavens and the earth through His descent in the incarnation and ascension after His resurrection. He is the Ladder to Heaven, a ladder built down by the Spirit who torches us and raises us up as fragrant incense of Christ to God. In the Eucharist, we ascend to Heaven as Heaven descends to us. There is always a double-motion of procession and reversion, a gift outwards in love, and a reciprocation back inwards in thanksgiving.

I ramble on in order to emphatically declare the centrality of the real, true, and concrete mutual indwelling of the two aspects of reality purposed through man, realized in Jesus Christ, and implemented and developed to greater and greater glory through His Body, which is the Church living by the Spirit of the Son.

Jesus in the Gospel of John makes His purpose clear: “I go to prepare a Place for you, so that where I am, you may be also.” As He said in John 3, “No one has ascended to Heaven except He who has descended from Heaven, that is, the Son of Man.” He is the Ladder to Heaven, the one who is indeed Greater-than-Jacob (John 4), who beheld the ladder and then went to the very well at which Jesus spoke to the Samaritan Woman. Jesus is “lifted up” and “glorified” through the Cross, and then goes to “ascend” to the Father as promised in John 20 and seen in a vision in Revelation 4-5. Revelation 14:13 makes clear what occurs (I believe in AD 70, but the point really doesn’t matter for our purposes) with the work of Christ:

“Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. ‘Blessed indeed!’ says the Spirit, ‘for their deeds follow them, and they rest from their labors.’”

“Rest” in the scripture refers to enthronement, not the cessation of any activity. It is an ever-moving rest, as Maximus so beautifully put it. Revelation 20:6 describes their estate:

“They will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with Him for a thousand years.”

I take “first resurrection” to refer to Christian death as “second death” refers to rebellious resurrection. Again in an answer to the words of our Lord in John’s Gospel, the Christian who “lives and believes” in Christ shall “never die.” And the one who does not- who is dead in their sins- shall never live. The liturgical setting of Revelation 4-5 and many other texts in the Apocalypse, its context in the heavenly court and council, all of these things illustrate quite concretely the real activity of the Saints throughout the new covenant age. And this is one of the real blessings of the Lord’s resurrection. In ages and generations past, each generation who died immediately ceased their activity, going to the grave- some in more bliss than others- but their relationship to this created world had ceased. This is very clear in what Samuel says to Saul. He is no longer involved in ministry. He’s retired. But with the plundering of the grave and the breaking open of the Heavenly Gates by the Savior’s death, this means that the Heavenly Court, with an active position and ongoing ministerial relation to the creation, is a real and important waystation on the path to final beatitude and glorification, wholly integrated with the body. Jesus, after all, being separated from His body in the Tomb, broke the power of the grave and then ascended to sprinkle the heavenly altar. That disembodied yet gloriously victorious existence is thus a part of our path.

Revelation is part of our being exalted over the angels. The old covenant was ministered by angels, created as a host and already fixed in their glory or wickedness, preparing for the arrival of the glorification of the human family, when, after the “little while” of subjection to angels, man would be “crowned with glory and honor”, as Psalm 8 puts it. We read of the twenty-four ministering Elders in the Heavenly Court, recalling among other things the ministry of the twenty-four chief priests. The Great High Priest of the Apocalypse is called “Another Angel” and is mentioned by that title (IIRC), seven times. This is Jesus Christ, acting in His office as steward of the old covenant to close that period of history. All other specific angels mentioned in the text add up to twenty-four. And in Revelation 20, the Saints who were martyred follow Jesus up His ladder of the cross to be enthroned in the heavenly court, still awaiting the second resurrection and final glory, but being very, very active in the meantime.

[Here’s the point.]

When Jesus Christ ascends, He doesn’t disrobe His body. Even before the bodily resurrection, His disembodied existence remained irrevocably and gloriously human. And it is a particular human existence. Jesus is a Jew from the little town of Nazareth, born of a particular lineage. He was born at a particular time, crucified under a particular Roman governor, He had a particular kind of beard and looked a particular way. And in His glory, He carried every aspect of this rich particularity into His Heavenly Throne. He was and is and ever-remains a Jew. I imagine in the Heavenly Lands there will be a place that quite looks like Nazareth near the throne of glory. Jesus is a real man. And so also with the Saints. We pray for the Lord to “remember” us in the Kingdom of God. The memory of God is the real sort of existence, for it is in God’s mind that we are realized in the first place. God’s intense memory of us constitutes us as fully ourselves.

As we are the Image of God, our memory is essential to our existence, too. As we move through life, if we walk according to the Spirit, we do not receive a generic glory. We don’t receive generic graces or gifts. We are inescapably particular persons with a real and particular history. After death, even without our bodies, we appear with our bodily form: a form that was shaped deeply by events which were really material. The body shapes and molds the soul, with which it is perichoretically embraced. In 1 Corinthians, Apostle Paul states- amazingly - that in the resurrection our work is not done in vain. And he is speaking of everyday work. Paul is presently the Apostle to the Nations and the most glorious tent-maker there ever was. I would be willing to bet that there are tents in the heavenly lands that are so beautiful they would move us to tears, woven by the glorified (partially) Apostle Paul, the tentmaker whose labor was not in vain.

And so also for Matushka Olga. Being glorified, transfigured by grace, and exalted for a new kind of ministry, she was not stripped of her particularity. She continues to be the same woman who has specific children, lived in a specific place, had particular delights in creation, and enjoyed particular sorts of food and drink. And her memory of this whole particular life is woven through every strip of fabric constituting her as who she is. And so in the infinite realms, her whole memory is brought up and glorified. She is made so profoundly and richly real that her faint memories suddenly give birth to real places and things in the heavens, specific homes, lands, teas, and so on. This is what Lewis speaks of in relation to our pets being brought up with us, in our memory. They are part of our particularity too. The seed is meant to go into the earth to be reborn, and Apostle Paul says this in the context of identifying the various animal creatures as “seeds!” If they are a seed, his argument demands, they are to be reborn too. But there is an order to all things. God does not hoard glory and life for Himself. He richly shares it as it flows from the Father through the Son in the Spirit up on into the entire created order and back round again, the water becoming, mysteriously, infinitely deeper with every step one learns to walk upon it. We are gathered into infinite reality by God in the person of His Eternal Son. Everything else in creation is gathered into that reality through us.

Man is right there in the midst of it. The Mind and Memory of God has been shared with us in the incarnation of the Word of God. As Apostle Paul says, “We have the Mind of Christ.” (1 Cor. 2:16) We have the Spirit of the Word, who “searches everything, even the depths of God.” (1 Cor. 2:10) God loves to enrich us with the infinity of His thought, each thought apprehended by the power of the Spirit leading us to utter wonder at the profundity of His wisdom and knowledge, hidden wholly in the incarnate Jesus Christ, revealed by the Spirit of Jesus Christ. And so God thinks with, through, and in us, but He thinks in such a way that it enriches our own particularity instead of obliterating it. The human family- with one heart and one spirit operating with the One Spirit of God- is a diamond with as many sides as there are glorified persons delighted in the Happy Trinity. And so, as Mother Olga, we bring our history with us. It’s not exactly true that “you can’t take it with you.” It’s more true that if “taking it with you” is at the forefront of your mind, there will be no place to take it. The self is a shockingly small place to live. But others- in others our heart is widened, as St. Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 7. With one Spirit, our hearts are stretched out by the Cross of Christ until they are so perfectly joined together that they live one life and exist as one heart.

We will only take with us those things that are really good, and they will be pulled up through the Cross, leaving behind any disorder or mistake or unwittingly self-absorbed intent. And having been pulled through, one will find that those memories which are glorified will be remembered so clearly that the memory at that time will be more real- indescribably and massively so- than the actual moment being remembered was. All is infinitely real in the one who is Reality. And you will live with, in, and through Him. By grace. Seek God’s grace, for no transient pleasure can even compare with this eternal weight of glory.

And so, this expansion continues as the Church, the Body of Christ, is taking one, enormous, deep breath which shall inhale the whole creation in order to breathe it outwards irradiated by the Spirit of Glory who is from God. The Communion of Saints is that by which those who have rested-unto-real-work in Christ continue their work in the cosmos, and that by which those of us still living in this world might, receiving the graces given us by God through them, pull the world up towards them.

Revelation 21 sums it all up. The City of God comes down from Heaven, and Heaven and Earth are joined. The church seen by St. John in Revelation 21:9ff (the fourth and final “in-Spirit” vision- not chronologically sequential with 21:1-8 which describes the consummation) is seen as it shall be when it is completed. The two raw materials to which our attention is called in Genesis 2- food and precious metals/stones are gathered together and organized by human creative activity in the city. It is full of the glory of God. It likely has the sun, but it does not need it, the Lamb of God is so immensely bright. The work of the Twelve Apostles is realized in her. The Radiance of the Glory of God and the Exact Imprint of His Nature shone on their stones and was reflected outwards until the light shone in every corner. “Kings shall bring their glory into it”, we are told. This reminds us of Proverbs 25:2, where “The Glory of God is to conceal a thing, the Glory of Kings is to search them out.” In Revelation, the word “king” extends to all the baptized who are priests and kings in Christ. God who spoke the world into being by His Word full of words, has hidden incredible wisdom in every little detail of the creation, into every little jot and tittle of the Bible. And filled with the Spirit who searches out the deep things of God in the Mind of Christ, the Christian civilization finds all of this God-centered beauty in every detail of creation, utilizing it to produce art, technology, culture, and knowledge. And every detail is brought into the City of God. In the Lord your work is not in vain.

And then, Heaven and Earth shall be fully integrated. The Lord Jesus Christ personally appears to sum all things up, to finally cast down the last enemy who was also the first, who is death. The City of God is described with dimensions making clear, given the downward flow of its golden river, that it is a pyramid. Daniel 2 tells us of a little stone, cut without hands (this is an altar), representing the Kingdom of God, breaking apart the kingdoms of this world and growing until it fills the whole world as a mountain. Isaiah 25 tells us of the mountain of God where all nations shall feast on a feast of richness. And Isaiah 65 says, “I create a new heavens and new earth...I create Jerusalem to be a joy.” Jerusalem, that Temple-City of God (Ezk. 40 also describes the temple and city as one) is the whole creation, transfigured, glorified, citified without being de-beautified. The pyramid which is the New and Lasting Jerusalem signifies the whole creation, full of the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.

[junker-town]

2019 CFB returning production, ranked a better way

The teams at the top of this list are likely to improve, recent history shows. Let’s go deeper than returning starter counts.

My process for releasing each preseason’s S&P+ projections:

Release data on the primary factors that go into the projections — returning production, recent performance, and recruiting — in individual posts. This is the first of those.

Release official S&P+ projections.

Begin the 130-team preview series.

February’s Signing Day is a little bit later into the month this year (February 6), so we’re going to run the preview series a bit differently. I’m going to wait until the 11th to begin the team preview series with complete recruiting data built into S&P+, and for the first week of previews, I’m releasing two previews per day.

Two-a-days as prep for football season. Get it?

That doesn’t mean we can’t go ahead and talk returning production, however.

Over the last few years, I have attempted to move beyond the too-simple “returning starters” figure to measure experience.

We use the best tools we have, even if they’re not that great. We try to derive value from offensive line starts because it’s the only individual measure of offensive linemen that we have. You can’t get much from “he’s been one of Team A’s five preferred linemen 16 times since he started school here.”

It’s the same with returning starters. We use it because it exists. It is fine as a really quick snapshot, but we know that one team’s six returning offensive starters aren’t another’s. What about go-to guys? Returning backups? And quarterbacks are worth more than other starters, right?

In 2016, I began using a returning production figure based on what seems to best correlate with year-to-year performance. With what is now a few years’ worth of data, let’s take a look at some updated correlations.

How returning production in four offensive stats correlates with changes in Offensive S&P+ ratings:

Returning experience on the offensive line doesn’t have nearly the statistical impact that we expect. But with more data in the bank — and a new set of tweaks to S&P+ that I’ve been unveiling at Football Study Hall — we can see there’s a little correlation.

The higher the number, the more likely returning production in these areas is to coincide with strong offense:

Receiving yards correlation: 0.324

Passing yards correlation: 0.234

Rushing yards correlation: 0.168

Offensive line starts correlation: 0.153

With more data, the offensive line correlations have begun to grow stronger, which makes sense, but the conclusion remains: continuity in the passing game matters a hell of a lot, and continuity in the run game doesn’t have as strong an impact.

Correlation between defensive stats and changes in Defensive S&P+:

On defense, where returning production appears to matter more in general, the correlations are both stronger and more diverse. Since teams use different numbers of defensive linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs, I look at both unit-specific categories and those for defense as a whole.

Defensive back tackles correlation: 0.404

Defensive back passes defensed correlation: 0.377

Overall tackles correlation: 0.325

Overall passes defensed correlation: 0.324

Defensive back tackles for loss correlation: 0.299

Overall tackles for loss correlation: 0.269

Linebacker tackles for loss correlation: 0.250

Linebacker tackles correlation: 0.250

Linebacker passes defensed correlation: 0.228

That’s right, the correlations for defensive back tackles and passes defensed is stronger than the correlations for overall tackles.

The strongest correlations on the defensive line, by the way: 0.154 for tackles, 0.119 for tackles for loss. Continuity in the trenches does not appear to be worth what we tend to think it’s worth. But continuity in the passing game, on both sides of the ball, means a ton.

One more takeaway: tackles for loss are important, but the ability to get hands on passes might be harder to replicate than any other.

So what does this mean for 2019?

As with last year, I used categories like the ones above, weighted for largest effect — so returning quarterbacks, receivers, and defensive backs carry more heft — to create numbers for offense and defense. I have updated 2018’s rosters for 2019, accounting for NFL declarations and, as much as possible (since it’s impossible to keep up with all of them), transfers.

Most of the teams near the top of the list should be in good shape.

Over the last five years, 35 teams have returned at least 80 percent of their production based on these calculations; 28 of them (80 percent) improved, and 17 (49 percent) improved their adjusted scoring margin per game by at least six points.

Last year’s top 10 teams in returning production (omitting Liberty, which was in its first year in FBS) saw their win total increase by a combined 25 games, from 45 to 70, in 2018. Michigan State regressed by three wins, and Mississippi State regressed by one. The other eight all improved.

Thus far for 2019, seven teams return 80 percent or more, including Tennessee. (I will release updated returning production figures right before the season begins.)

On the flip side, teams at the bottom might have lean years.

Meanwhile, 80 teams returned no more than 50 percent of their production; 65 of them (81 percent) regressed, 36 (45 percent) by at least a touchdown.

Last year’s bottom 10 teams saw their win total decrease by a combined 27 games, from 76 to 49. LSU and FIU each managed to improve by one win, and Colorado held steady at 5-7. The other seven all fell by at least two wins, and four (Navy, Colorado State, Louisville, and CMU) all fell by at least four.

For now, 13 teams are at 50 percent or lower, including Washington, Texas, and Georgia Tech.

SEC! SEC! SEC! SEC!

Here are 2018’s top 10 teams, according to the revamped version of S&P+, re-ranked in order of 2019 returning production:

LSU (76 percent, 15th)

Florida (74 percent, 26th)

Clemson (64 percent, 53rd)

Oklahoma (64 percent, 57th)

Ohio State (63 percent, 62nd)

Alabama (63 percent, 63rd)

Michigan (63 percent, 68th)

Georgia (62 percent, 69th)

Auburn (60 percent, 84th)

Mississippi State (57 percent, 92nd)

It’s safe to say Alabama will begin second in the preseason polls, and sportsbooks are listing Georgia in the top four. But there could be legitimate reason for putting four SEC teams near the top, including LSU, which overachieved last year’s returning production, and Florida. The Tigers and Gators went a combined 21-6 in 2018 and ranked fifth and ninth, respectively, in the revamped S&P+. And now they’re both going to be projected to improve by a decent amount.

In fact, if we were to use returning production as the only S&P+ projection factor — eschewing recruiting and recent history — here’s how the projected top five would take shape. Again, this would be based on nothing more than last year’s S&P+ ratings and this year’s returning production, not the complete formula:

Alabama (+36.7 adjusted points per game)

Georgia (+33.2)

Clemson (+30.2)

LSU (+28.9)

Florida (+27.1)

Auburn, Mississippi State, Missouri, and Texas A&M would all be in the top 15 with this approach, too. Plus, Tennessee, second in overall returning production, could take a couple of steps forward as well.

Finally, the SEC gets its ducks in a row. (Yes, that was sarcasm.)

The year of the Ute?

Let’s keep the “If this were all there was to S&P+ projections” thing going. Here’s how the projected Pac-12 would rank based on returning production:

11. Utah 21. Washington 29. Washington State 31. Oregon 33. Stanford 36. USC

For now, never mind that there would be more Group of Five teams in the projected top 25 (Appalachian State, Memphis, and UCF) than Pac-12 teams.

Let’s just focus on the fact that Utah, which finally broke through and won the Pac-12 South, might take one final step up the ladder.

Washington could catch fire with Jacob Eason at quarterback, Oregon could break through in Mario Cristobal’s second season, USC could [insert things we say about USC every year]. But based solely on who produced for each team last year and who’s returning, Utah might start as the front-runner. We’ll see how that changes as we work recruiting rankings and whatnot into the mix.

Lowest returning production in the Power 5: guaranteed preseason top-10 Texas

121. Texas (48 percent) 119. Georgia Tech (49 percent) 118. Washington (50 percent) 116. Ole Miss (51 percent) 114. Kentucky (51 percent) 112. Kansas (52 percent) 110. Boston College (53 percent) 109. NC State (53 percent) 108. Stanford (54 percent) 106. Duke (54 percent)

Some of those, you could have guessed. Kentucky loses LB Josh Allen and most of the primary reasons for 2018’s breakthrough. Ole Miss’ offense takes a big hit. Washington loses Jake Browning, Myles Gaskin, and most of its secondary.

That top name might come as a surprise.

Fresh off of a 10-win campaign — the school’s first since 2009 — and a Sugar Bowl win, Texas is all but guaranteed to begin 2019 in the preseason top 10. The Horns bring back quarterback Sam Ehlinger and receiver Collin Johnson as headliners, plus the fruits of successful recruiting.

They do not, however, return their leading rusher (Tre Watson), leading receiver (Lil’Jordan Humphrey), three honorable mention all-conference offensive linemen, their top three tacklers on the defensive line, their top two linebackers, and three of their top five defensive backs, including corner Kris Boyd, who led the team in havoc plays (tackles for loss, forced fumbles, and passes defensed).

At 48 percent returning production, the Horns aren’t in the “guaranteed regression” range like, say, UAB and Fresno State. But Tom Herman’s recruiting classes are going to have to break through quickly if Texas is to live up to expectations.

[weeklywisdom]

The Devil’s Wisdom

Dear Friends, I began this week with an odd question - What is the devil's wisdom?  The reason for my question is not something I can explain here, though you're welcome to come visit for coffee.  But the beginning of the answer, I've found to be worthwhile.  And I mean by "devil's wisdom" - not your Hollywood caricatured devil, but the devil in the eyes of Kabala and occult enthusiasts. I remembered a teaching I learned from Rabbi Arthur Green, that the second line of the Shema - baruch shem kevod malchuto - roughly: "blessed is his glorious kingdom," is a near heresy, strangely permitted, though whispered, following the most significant prayer in our tradition.  The Shma honors Oneness, and God as the Absolute - the responsive whisper though, supplicates the world we inhabit, the Lower World, Earth, the devil's domain.  That's the minor heresy: that the material objects of this world too are instruments of delight.  Sex, drugs, rock and roll - these too are doorways to enlightenment as true as meditation and righteousness.  The devil's wisdom appreciates this truth in excess. I then puzzled after the source of the heretic prayer, baruch shem kevod - it sounded familiar to me, but it necessitated a concordance for me to place it.  Ezekiel 3:12, "Then a spirit carried me away, and behind me I heard a great roaring sound: 'Blessed is the presence of the lord, in his place.'"  It's the closest approximation in the literature.  It's the song of the angels overheard by Ezekiel in his visions.  Blessed is the dwelling place of God. The phrase though, baruch shem kevod, appears in full for the first time in the Mishna (circa 200 ce), in another context.  The poetry has changed slightly, and so have the speakers.  On Yom Kippur, the High Priest would enact the ceremony of the lottery, the Azazel goat, and the sacrifices, and then greet all those who made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, with the singular mention of the divine name, and the people would respond - baruch shem kevod malchuto leolam vaed.  The people have appropriated an angel song, for one day of the year. The radical move that happened though, was when some prayer inventor from an unknowable point in history affixed baruch shem kevod to the Shema.  By that prayer assemblage, the Shema replaces the priest's Yom Kippur sacrifice - it's the moment of At-One-Ment, which frees us of all sin, reminding us of our true, pure essence, while acknowledging, just seconds later, to quote Madonna, that we are "material girl(s) living in a material world."  The prayer at the center of our humanity reckons the absurdity and the beautiful mystery, of pursuing spirit with a body.  Those are nice words for: this is one wild f*$k*&g ride. Enlightenment has more faces than we can count.  God is everywhere.  The sin, from the devil's perspective, is forgetting that there's something divine about the place you're standing in - all the time!  Jacob falls asleep, wakes up from his dream of angels on a ladder, and proclaims, I'm sleeping beneath a stairway to heaven, and I had no idea. Don't aim for sinner or saint - something in the middle will do just fine.  Hold in one hand: there is oneness at the core of everything - I am part of a great multitude; and in the other: the world is made entirely for me, and I will delight in all of its pains and pleasures. Shema yisrael adonai eloheinu adonai echad(Baruch shem kevod malchuto leolam vaed). Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Zach Fredman